by M. Z. Kelly
“They’re very interesting choices,” Amanda said with a smirk, after I explained about our vintage dresses. “I never would have thought of choosing such a thing.”
Her husband—think short, snotty, and balding—overheard our conversation and came over. “Who are you wearing?” Geoff asked.
Mo was standing next to me. She put her hands on her hips and answered for both of us. “We got us Montgomery’s, in case you can’t tell.”
“Never heard of him.”
“That’s ‘cause you was probably soiling your diapers when he was busy whippin’ up our dresses.”
“Let’s get a drink,” I said, quickly ushering Mo over to a waiter before the conversation got out of hand.
“Montgomery?” I said to her as she sipped a drink.
“Montgomery Ward. His store was all the rage back in the day.”
“Oh. I’d never heard of him.”
Natalie came over with my mother and we said our hellos. Mom had cut her graying brown hair shorter and was wearing a blue and gold sarong dress. It was a sixties thing that seemed to go with her personality, since Mom considered herself a hippy at one time.
“Isn’t this lovely,” Mom said, referencing the outdoor terrace. “I do hope Robin and Adam make it.”
“I’m sure they’re coming. It’s all Robin’s talked about for weeks.”
As in, “Do I really have to go?”
Natalie stopped a waiter and took a couple of martinis off his tray, handing one to Mo. “Might as well get munted, since we can’t get mounted.” She tipped up her drink while Mo finished off the one she’d been working on.
“She means that she needs to quench her thirst,” I said to Mom, seeing her disapproval.
Mother’s brow knitted and her gaze moved off. “I think I’d better go give Robin a call.”
After she left, I said to my friends, “You both need to go easy on the drinks.”
Mo looked at me like I’d escaped from a mental hospital. “Why the hell is that? They’re free.”
“It’s just that…my family…they’re…”
“Snobs?” Natalie said before finishing her drink and snapping her fingers at the server for another.
“Exactly,” I said.
Mo shook her head and fixed her dark eyes on me. “None of us got nuthin’ to be ‘shamed of here.” She drained half her martini, then looked at me again. “Unless you think we do.”
“Of course not.” I took a breath, seeing that Robin and his boyfriend, Adam, had finally arrived. I made my excuses and went over, knowing that my sister disapproved of my brother’s lifestyle. I was hoping I could head off any problems.
I got to Robin’s side at the same time Amanda was saying to him, “Exactly how long have you two been…” She laughed. “I guess the word is cohabitating.”
“Just a couple of weeks,” Robin said, looking at his handsome boyfriend.
“We’re still on our honeymoon,” Adam added, maybe just to irritate my sister.
“Oh, God,” Amanda said. “There are some things…” She grimaced and looked at her husband. “I think I need some air.”
After they were gone, I exchanged greetings with Adam before Robin said, “Can’t you feel the love tonight?”
I laughed. “I feel something, but I don’t think it’s exactly love.”
After some small talk, my brother and Adam wandered off with Mom. A few moments later, I realized Amanda was back at my side.
“No dog tonight?” she said.
“He’s with a friend.”
“Well, at least you had the good sense not to bring him.”
I bit my tongue and kept quiet. She went on. “Mother tells me you’ve been trying to find your biological father.”
I nodded. “Just in my spare time.”
“Why?”
I took a moment, trying to choose my words carefully. “Because…I guess because I want to know about him.”
“I don’t get it. The bastard abandoned you. Whoever he is, he’s an asshole.”
I took a breath. “Maybe that’s true. I just want to know what happened…why he chose not to be a part of my life.”
She brushed a hand through the thousand-dollar coiffure. “I’m sure it was because he never loved you. You need to get over it.”
And you need to go to hell.
I pushed down my anger and tried to be non-committal. “We’ll just have to see how things go if I find him.”
She shook her head in disapproval and locked eyes with me. “I also hear that your love life is a disaster. That vet Mom told me about apparently wasn’t all you thought he was.”
I’d only shared some general information with Mom about Noah and I having some problems.
“I think the jury’s still out,” I said.
“Can I be frank with you, Kate?”
I realized I was making a habit of lying. “Of course.”
“You’re not getting any younger or any thinner. Find a decent guy with some money and give up on the losers.” She turned and started to walk away, but then turned back to me. “And your friends…”
I’d just reached my sisterly love limit for the evening. I raised my voice. “What about them?”
She flinched, lowering her own voice. “Let’s just say, you could do better.”
She walked away as I went on a mind rant. When it was over, I’d called my sister every name I could think of and a few that I invented.
My friends came over after she was gone. “That didn’t look good from what we saw of it,” Mo said.
“Your sis thinks she the queen’s vag,” Natalie said. “She needs to be put in her place.”
“Let’s just try and make it through dinner and get out of here.” I sighed. “In the meantime, I could use a drink.”
I not only got a drink, I got two, before we all sat down at an outdoor table, where our chef announced the night’s fare. He went through a lengthy explanation of the first courses, before telling us, “Our main course will consist of agneau aloppini with a pomegranate sauce and wilted spinach, roasted sweet potato, and curried cauliflower tambale.”
Natalie grimaced and said to him, “You mean you couldn’t find anything besides fruit, wilted spinach, and tamales?” She looked at one of the servers. “If I’m gonna eat that, I’ve gotta have me another drink.”
“Make it two,” Mo said to the waiter.
Amanda’s eyes made a full circuit before she told the chef, “It sounds simply scrumptious, Jean Claude.”
We settled in for several courses while some mindless chit chat moved around the table. We were on the third course when Mo fixed her eyes on Amanda’s husband and said, “I just realized something. I think I seen you before.”
“That’s hardly likely,” Geoff said. “I’ve recently been named the Duke of Dumblin. It’s an enclave for the wealthy in Lichtenstein. I doubt that we move in the same circles.”
“Did he say he’s the Duke of Dumbledore?” Natalie asked, looking at Mo.
“Dumblin,” I said, trying to take the edge off things.
Mo went on. “You ever spend any time in Hollywood, Duke?”
Amanda’s husband glanced at her, then looked back at my hefty friend. “Just for a few months after I graduated from finishing school.”
“What kinda work did you do after you got finished?”
“I sold luxury cars for a period of time, mainly Bugattis.”
“You sure it wasn’t Fords?” Natalie said. “‘Cause, the only car dealership I knew of back then sold them cars that exploded.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Pintos. What was it like selling cars that blew up?”
Now it was Geoff’s turn to do an eye roll. He glanced at Amanda. “For God’s sake, I never sold…” he laughed. “…Pintos.”
“I just made the connection,” Mo said. “I know where I seen you before, Duke.”
Geoff swallowed and ordered another drink, before saying, “I don’t know what
you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about Sally.”
“Who?” Amanda said, her botoxed forehead reluctantly giving up a couple of lines.
“It’s nothing,” Geoff told her. “I’m sure she’s just confused.”
“I wouldn’t call Sally the Tally nuthin’,” Mo said. She looked at Amanda. “Sally was a busy girl, and she had herself some extra parts, if you know what I mean.”
Geoff made some throat clearing sounds. “I don’t think this is productive…”
Amanda touched his shoulder, looked at Mo. “I want to hear this.”
“Back in the day, Mo was a pimp,” Natalie explained before I could stop her. “Only her job was gettin’ girls off the stroll.”
“That’s when Smiley here showed up,” Mo said, grinning at the duke.
“Smiley?” Amanda said. “What are you referring to?”
Geoff made a ducking motion, like he was planning to dive under the table and said, “This is ridiculous.”
I glanced over at my mother, who looked like someone at an accident scene. Robin and Adam, on the other hand, were covering their mouths to keep from bursting out laughing.
Mo went on, telling Amanda, “I’m talkin’ ‘bout a couple of birthmarks that Sally told everyone ‘bout, along with a certain part of the Duke’s anatomy that was god given. She said it looked like he had a smiley face down there.”
“I once knew I guy who they called Peanut,” Natalie offered. She looked at Geoff. “You got that problem, too, Duke…I mean, Smiley?”
Amanda stood up and tossed her linen napkin on the table. She glanced at the duke, who looked like he might pass out. “This is preposterous,” my sister said. “I won’t sit here and listen to this drivel.” She grabbed her duke by the collar and began leaving.
“No problem,” Mo said, calling after them. “That means there’s more spinach and tamales for the rest of us.”
After my mother also left in a huff to try and console my sister and the duke, we all ordered another round of drinks—actually several rounds. By the time the night was over, I only knew a couple of things for certain. The night ended with more than one smiley face and my sister would never speak to me again. Despite all its shortcomings, sometimes life can be good.
FORTY-FIVE
Early the next morning, I got a call from Buck, telling me that Addison Blaine had contacted her mother, and she’d agreed to meet with us later that day. I took a quick shower, did what I could with my hair, and took something for my hangover. I didn’t know if the duke, or Smiley, had survived after Mo had exposed his past. All I did know was that my sister would probably make his life miserable, before consoling herself by spending what was left of his inheritance.
After Natalie and Mo agreed to keep Bernie for the rest of the day, I drove to the station, where I learned I’d been chosen for CTA training. After some protests, I was forced to spend most of the day in a conference room learning about the benefits of cross training. Late in the afternoon, I got Lieutenant Edna’s permission to cut class because Buck and I had our meeting with Addison Blaine and her mother. We picked up Blaine in Bel Air before making the short drive to the House of Darwin in the Hollywood Hills. Along the way, Blaine gave us a little history of her mother’s enterprise.
“When Mom started the business, it was really just one of the first compatibility services that tried to match couples. As the years passed, she learned to use technology to take it to a whole other level.”
“What kind of technology?” Buck asked as drove us up into the hills.
Blaine had a cryptic smile. “It’s probably better seen than heard, but I think you’ll find it interesting.”
“You mentioned before,” I said, glancing back at her, “that you were a Beta at one time. How many years did you spend in that capacity?”
“I spent a couple of years working for my mother, including just over a year doing Beta training. I then spent about seven months with my Alpha before…before I told my mother I wanted out.”
“Seems like the right thing to do if the job wasn’t for you,” Buck said.
“I’m one of the few Betas that have ever quit. Once you’re under assignment, it’s expected that the only way that you’ll end your relationship is if the Alpha makes that decision.”
“Does that happen often?”
She shook her head. “It’s rare. Once the Alpha-Beta match is made, the training is so thorough and intense, most matches are as close to perfection as you can get.”
Buck met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Except for yours.”
She cut her eyes to him, then lowered her gaze. “There are some men, even those who are world leaders, who are impossible to please.”
I was trying to guess who she might have been talking about when Blaine told us we were getting close to our destination. “You’ll need to pull up at the gate around the next bend in the road. I’ll do an iris scan for entry.”
We stopped at one of the highest points in the Hollywood Hills. Blaine went over to a security monitor before the gate to the estate opened. When she got back in the car, she said, “My mother’s cottage is down the driveway to the left, at the rear of the property,” She hesitated, then said, “Before we see her, there’s something I need to tell you both.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“There’s lots of reasons I quit working for my mother. Like I said before, one of those reasons is that I wasn’t a good fit for the Alpha I was assigned to. The other reason is Bert Prince.”
I said to Buck. “Stop the car.” When he’d pulled over on the driveway, I looked back at Blaine. “You lied to us.”
She blinked, drew in a breath. “I know, and it was a mistake. I didn’t want to raise any suspicions at the time.” She sighed. “I met Bert at a party, and we became involved for a few weeks about a year ago.” Her eyes fixed on mine. “I’m sorry I lied, but I didn’t kill him.”
I shook my head in anger, then turned back to Buck. “Let’s go.”
I wasn’t sure what her revelation about being with Bert Prince meant to either of our cases, but it struck me that Addison Blaine had been involved with both our victims. It was something I intended to keep in mind.
We found Deidre Blaine’s cottage overlooking a pool. It looked like something modelled after a Scottish castle, with a stone edifice, pointed turrets, and towers. After ringing the bell, a servant led us into a great room, where we were introduced to the owner of the House of Darwin.
After we said our hellos, Addison’s mother wasted no time giving us a piece of her mind. “The very idea that my daughter was involved in killing Cole Abrams is preposterous. Whatever possessed you to arrest her?”
Buck held his Stetson in one hand and answered in a way that demonstrated his southern charm and polite manner. “There was some physical evidence that didn’t pan out, ma’am. We’ve since cleared her of all the charges.”
Deidre Blaine’s violet eyes swung over to her daughter. “Well, thank goodness for small favors.” She turned back to Buck. “My daughter has her faults, but being a killer isn’t one of them.”
We took seats on a leather sofa that I thought I’d seen in one of those two-inch thick Restoration Hardware catalogues. The room had a fireplace big enough to walk into, stone covered walls, and thick beams on the ceiling.
As we chatted, I’d noticed that Deidre Blaine was tall and attractive, with dark hair and beautiful eyes. While Addison was pretty, in a girlish way, in the few minutes I’d been around her mother, I’d gotten the impression that she was serious, intelligent, and confident about her place in the world.
After some more small talk, Deidre Blaine got down to business and told us why she’d agreed to meet with us. “I’ve heard rumors about some of my business details being leaked to the press. When Addison called, I decided I wanted to set the record straight.”
“Addison told us you’ve been in business several years,” I said.
“Yes, the H
ouse of Darwin began just over a decade ago, discretely serving hundreds of wealthy clients.” She glanced at her daughter, back at us. “What I’m going to tell you might, on the surface, seem a bit technical, but once you see our operations, I think you’ll understand everything.” She cleared her throat and continued. “If you’ll recall from your years in school, Charles Darwin was a naturalist who developed a well-known theory. It was Darwin’s belief that evolution occurs due to natural selection. That selection process allows a species to adapt to their environment. The theory has probably been most popularized by the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’.”
I’d glanced at Addison as her mother spoke and saw that she was thumbing through a magazine. I had the impression that she’d probably heard her mother’s lecture a thousand times.
Deidre Blaine went on. “Evolutionary change occurs when individuals with certain characteristics have a greater survival or reproductive rate and pass on those characteristics. Here at the House, we take natural selection to a whole other level. We select for individuals, called Betas, who are trained to precisely adapt to their chosen operative’s environment. They are selected for characteristics that match those of the Alpha, thereby allowing us to naturally select for optimal compatibility.” She chuckled. “While it might bring to mind something out of science fiction, I can assure you that the process is quite benign and harmless.”
Buck had his Stetson in his hands and smiled at her. “I think I musta flunked Darwin when I was in school. Maybe taking a look around while you explain things would help me out.”
Her eyes lingered on Buck as she returned his smile. I had the impression that she was charmed and attracted to my temporary partner, but that wasn’t an uncommon reaction.
“Let’s go throw some stones,” Deidre Blaine said.
I had no idea what she meant, until we arrived at the House of Darwin. The modern structure was concealed behind a heavy growth of trees and brought to mind a rectangular aquarium, only on an enormous scale.
